Art from the page to the skin
The Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam is hosting a temporary tattoo studio where visitors can choose designs inspired by the Dutch artist's drawings and etchings. The project, organized with celebrated tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher and his studio, runs through November 7.
Appointments cost between 100 and 350 euros, with Schiffmacher and six other tattoo artists offering sessions. Designs include Rembrandt self-portraits, Amsterdam motifs and an image of Hansken, the elephant the artist drew during the animal's visit to the city.
A large-scale interpretation of Rembrandt's The Descent from the Cross is also being tattooed across the back of production designer Bo Kwakernaak over several sessions.
The museum sees a connection between Rembrandt's prints and tattooing: both carry images beyond their original setting and bring them to new audiences. Projects like this may offer cultural institutions fresh ways to connect historic art with contemporary creative practices.
